Residents pose questions about proposed joint-development plan

Representatives from Canton, North Canton, Plain Township and Jackson Township held a public hearing Wednesday to discuss a proposed mutual economic development agreement intended to bring business to Stark County.

Canton Mayor William J. Healy II said the potential for new business in Stark County used to mean "a little bit of war" among area municipalities as they jockeyed to get a piece of the development.

But under an agreement four local governments have jointly proposed, officials would be able to collectively promote Stark County while still bolstering their individual economies.

"That really is what I think the public expects from their elected officials," Healy said.

Representatives from Canton, North Canton, Plain Township and Jackson Township held a public hearing Wednesday to discuss a proposed mutual economic development agreement intended to bring business to Stark County. No action was taken during the meeting.

The proposed agreement designates land in the townships for shared development. The land included in the agreement is the stretch of property that runs north of 38th Street NW between Whipple Avenue NW and the railroad and then between the railroad and the western edge of Plain Township, reaching to the Summit County border.

If the agreement is approved, government officials will market the land to businesses and give them the option of creating joint economic development districts. If a business were to choose to enter into a JEDD, the income tax from the new business would then be split equally among both cities and the township in which the business was located.

Townships on their own cannot collect income tax.

Much of the public comment portion of Wednesday's hearing involved officials answering questions posed by residents. The men who drafted the economic agreement clarified that the tax would only apply to new businesses, not existing ones, and only to the businesses that wanted to create a JEDD.

Of the 25 people who attended the hearing, two spoke in opposition to the plan, citing concerns about taxing new employees and halting the development of individual governments.

"There is nothing to gain here for the city of North Canton," resident Chuck Osborne said. "It is municipal suicide."

Plain Township Trustee Louis Giavasis reiterated that no part of the agreement is being forced on anyone involved.

He said that 10 years ago, officials from the township and North Canton would have been sitting in front of a judge bickering about economic development. But on Wednesday night, they were agreeing to work together — beginning a partnership that could lead to other joint ventures, such as shared public safety services.

Healy explained the economic agreement is expected to create jobs and to stop the conflicts that stymie growth in Stark County.